Apple iTV to feature Kinect-like games console, says report

Tim Cook's visit to Valve HQ linked with plans to take over the living room

Could there be more to Apple's rumoured iTV set than anyone previously thought? One report reckons Apple plans to launch a revolutionary, Kinect-like games console alongside its flatscreen debut

Apple plans to integrate a revolutionary home games console with its Apple iTV set, in a bid to completely take over the living room, according to reports this weekend.

The Cult of Mac website has linked unconfirmed reports that Apple CEO Tim Cook paid a visit to the Valve games developer, to word from its sources that Apple plans to take on the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and Nintendo Wii U with a fully-functional touch and motion-based console.

The report claims that, as well as Siri voice control and an iTunes-integrated touchscreen remote control, the company's debut flatscreen telly "will come with an Apple-branded, Kinect-likevideo game console. The interface will rely heavily on motion and touch controls."

It was previously thought that iTV would be more of an extension of the Apple TV set-top box, with more deals from content providers that would free subscribers from the shackles of expensive cable packages.

However, if this report turns out to have credence, iTV takes on a whole new life, with Apple looking to transfer its success in the handheld gaming market into the home.

As we alluded to above, the speculation arose from a reported visit Tim Cook made to Valve studios, which is responsible for the Half Life, Portal and Team Fortress series, as well as the Steam network, which is sort of like iTunes for PC gamers, in the way it delivers games straight to its users.

Valve recently advertised for a hardware partner to help it "create new gaming experiences." Could Apple really be that partner? Probably not, but we're guessing we haven't heard the last of this story.